Authors Notes: WHERE THE HECK IS KING ARTHUR ISN'T HE SUPPOSED TO BE RISING ABOUT NOW? I Need a Hero covered in Shrek is the only acceptable cover. And relatable.

It's a Frail State of Mind

A chilling anticipation came as the day of Arthur's departure came. Of course he had to leave. It was his duty, and he wasn't King yet. Morgana tried to assure herself that when he came back he would be a more experienced vessel to become king. He and Gwen had already arranged the transfer of their belongings so carry on it was for dropping them off at the airport. Elyon sat in the back with Gwen and Arthur. He'd wanted to see his sister off, which was an understandable request. Tom unfortunately, had deadlines to make and reluctantly stayed at his shop. Uther was stuck doing something work related keeping him from seeing the departure.

"And we're here," Merlin said, pulling into the departures of the airport.

Elyon got out and helped Gwen pull out the bags with Arthur. Arthur adjusted his runsack as Morgana got out of the car.

"Does it make me look too stocky? Be serious," Arthur asked.

"Vain as always," Morgana grinned.

"You'll be okay with us gone? I get you have big ears in the car..."

She smacked his arm. Half playful, half vengeful.

"Quite rude of you to say," Morgana said.

"Alright, I take it back. He's hopelessly in love with you anyway," Arthur shrugged. "I know you don't like to be separated..."

"That's you."

"Think you'll come down at some point?"

"Oh, I dunno Arthur. Besides, you start asking too many questions and I'm bound to start sobbing and break down when I swore that I would hold myself together when you left."

He hugged her to her surprise. Hugging Arthur left a warm sense of comfort.

"Oh, group hug!" she heard Gwen beam.

And she felt more arms around her and Arthur, and grinned.

It was about three when they made it home from the airport, dropping Elyon off, and grabbing take away. Things were going very very well in Morgana's opinion. The door opened and Mordred greeted their feet. Merlin set the bags on the table and Morgana kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked, a rose coming to his cheeks.

"I wanted to," Morgana smiled.

She started spinning to a tune she started humming. A sharp pain went through her head and she felt herself collapsing as she grabbed her head. Instead of hitting the ground she felt Merlin catching her in his arms.

"Something's wrong," Morgana said, her hand on her forehead.

"Is it Arthur? But how could it be Arthur he should still be on his plane," Merlin asked.

"No, no it's not Arthur. Something is wrong, Merlin."

Mordred pawed at her. He jumped on the fridge. She walked out of Merlin's arm to the fridge. Morgauses' wedding invitation.

"Are you even really a cat?" she asked him.

"Meow," was his response.

"He thinks it's Morgause," Merlin said.

"A plausible theory... today's her wedding."

The wheels started spinning in her head it would power a steam punk fiction itself. She found her phone and called Uther. Straight to voicemail. Morgana went into her room and held on the frame turning back to Merlin.

"How do you feel about crashing a wedding?" Morgana asked with a smile.

Her arm rested in the crook of Merlin's arm. She'd worn a pale pink leaning white dress that had a halter neck and straight skirt; the bodice had pearls and pink flowers decorating it. The Abbey was dark as they walked through it.

"Are you prepared for the possibility that we'll have to fight her? If the situation arose," Merlin asked. "You're still undertrained with your magic."

"If she has my father, I will do whatever I can to protect him," Morgana stated confidently.

She avoided looking at him. For the realization that Morgause was indeed her sister was finally settling into her head. Truly by blood even if it was only paternal. Could she live with herself if she had to kill her sister? Her hold on Merlin loosened instead her hand fell grazing his arm. He held her hand instead as she ran leading them through the venue.

Below, she saw Morgause and Cenred exchanging vows under the sunset and she saw Uther at the front quite visible. No. Her grip on Merlin finally loosened and she tried to run, cursing the heels she wore that slowed her down. The vows were settled, the guests clapped. And she came to the stairs and cursed her luck.

Morgause saw her first. Glee first before worry. Morgana stalked down the stairs with a cold expression. Merlin trailed behind her. Then the crowd noticed.

"Why, here to celebrate your dear sisters wedding finally?" Morgause called with a forced smile and coldness.

"I have no sister," Morgause said, reaching the end of the stairs.

While the rest of the guests had moved away from the confrontation, Uther remained in his seat at the front. He looked utterly vegetable.

"Daddy!" Morgana cried out. Merlin held her arm, holding her back. "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, just a little concoction I made," Morgause said. "I wouldn't have needed to use it had you done what I asked and brought him yourself. And then I tried to talk to him myself but my what an awful man. It'll wear off soon... or not at all. It's been eons since I've made that certain brew."

"You're the witch that's been following us."

"You say that like it's brand new information. You knew Morgana!"

Morgause let out a small laugh.

"Merlin, grab my father. I'll deal with her," Morgana said.

"Morgana," Merlin protested.

"We don't have time."

The sunset turned purple and thick clouds started forming ahead. Morgana looked into the clouds seeing thin lines of lightening flashing in them. The crowd started to rush back into the building sensing the threatening animosity. She couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw Cendred running away with the crowd. Sure, he was mortal. But the wafting cowardness disgusted her.

"You're really going to trust him?" Morgause laughed. "Him! A man that betrayed you over and over again, and tried to kill you!"

"I am not the Lady Morgana, Morgause," Morgana said. "I am not your puppet. I trust him with my life."

Merlin had enchanted himself invisible. Morgause had thrown a fire ball towards the two of them before Morgana waved it away. He ran around the white fold out chairs, grabbing a disoriented Uther.

"A-rth-ur," he mumbled.

He looked over and saw that Morgause had made another attack. He dropped the glamour and helped Uther out of his chair. Still under the potions effects, he had to carry him to the side of the building where he knew they had the car. Uther allowed Merlin to set him behind a rose bush. Morgana had conjured a shield to protect her from Morgause's advances. But Morgause was becoming bold and started to move towards Morgana. Uther grabbed his arm. His eyes looked over at Morgana.

She made flying birds attack Morgause and she was able to swiftly block Morgauses incoming spells. He saw her create bindings around Morgauses feet trapping her to the ground. Morgause went to destroy the earth with blasts of lightening. Another rough attack at Morgana. He saw the last of the suns rays shine itself on Morgana's face before it was gone. The Goddess might protect Morgana, but she was still too inexperienced to harness the true powers of the High Priestess. She was confident enough in her powers, and he was in awe of how quickly spells came to her. But Morgause was still gaining too much on Morgana.

"Wait here," Merlin said. The older man relaxed his grip.

The storm started to come in. He used the incoming rain to create a dense mist around Morgause.

"You fien!" she screeched.

Morgana raised her hands and chanted; the chairs started to bind themselves to Morgause. As the mist evaporated, they could see Morgause trapped in the chairs. He muttered a spell raising his hand out. The chairs turned into a marble binding. She screamed. Merlin ran over to Morgana, grabbing her wrist.

"We don't have much time, we have to go!" he shouted over the rain.

The thunder rang out. Morgana ran with him, his hand dropped into hers. Uther was still sitting by the roses.

"Let's get you home," Morgana said in a kind voice.

The two of them ran around the building to the car. Merlin kept looking back over his shoulder, afraid to see Morgause had gotten out of her bindings and was still in pursuit of them. Morgana sat in the back with her father. He sped out of the property, driving down the dirt road of countryside.

"Where should we go? His property? Yours?" he asked.

"What if we went to yours? Wouldn't you be able to research what's wrong with him there?" Morgana asked.

He sighed. He was half hoping she would say Uther's property. It would be easier to bring in Gaius for help that way without having everyone ontop of each other. Still, he probably knew more than his reincarnated uncle.

"Alright, we'll go to my flat," Merlin said.

"Thank you," Morgana responded.

"How is he back there?"

"He seems a little aware sometimes before he..."

"I'll try to undo her spell, I promise."

He kept glancing in the mirror to see Morgana and her father. They eventually made it back to his flat, and he carried more of Uther's weight on him. He didn't seem to mind being led up to the upstairs guest bedroom. Morgana sat next to him. The storm made its way over London. Merlin backed out of the room and went to his study. He pulled out a few medical books he'd picked up over the years, along with some grimoires. Whatever was affecting Uther's state of mind seemed too contradictory. Reluctantly, he called his uncle.

It had been a fluke accident. He'd gotten hit by a car and ended up in the hospital. His body had gone into a coma after being hit, although he had faced no physical damage surprisingly. Gaius had ended up being the primary physician working with Merlin. When Merlin woke up, he found himself faced with another reincarnation of his uncle. He quickly spouted off this to Gaius. And Gaius had found it odd, but didn't think Merlin was crazy. He welcomed the opportunity to be an uncle, as his family had been small and died out. When Merlin was released from the hospital, he went back to Avalon, getting it's sacred water to allow Gaius to remember his past life.

Even without his memories, Gaius still ended up being a renowned physician and expert herbalist (although he was skeptical of where to apply homeopathic therapies). The phone rang before he heard the line crinkle.

"Merlin! How are you? You haven't called in a while," Gaius said; Merlin could hear Gaius' smile.

"Gaius, um, well about that. See I met this... girl," Merlin trailed.

"Ah yes! The one with the cat. How is she?"

"Lovely, wonderful. But, see, oh I don't know how insane this will sound..."

"Merlin, you've told me already that you're an immortal sorcerer from the times of King Arthur and that I am a reincarnation of your uncle. What could you possibly tell me that would make me think you've gone mental?"

"The woman I've fallen in love with is Morgana and her father is Uther, and Morgause abducted Uther today. We were able to rescue him, but Morgause gave him some sort of potion, it has to be old, and I was wondering if you had any idea's about what it could possibly be. I'm an immortal, I get it, I should have something floating to the top of my head right now, but for the life of me Gaius it's like all knowledge has poofed!"

Silence.

"Gaius?" Merlin repeated.

"I heard you. I'm trying to process that," Gaius said. "You've honest to god found Morgana and fallen in love with her? And you have Uther with you?!"

"Gaius, she's different this time around. She's still good and I need to hold onto that. And Uther means a lot to her, even if their bond right now is... strange to explain, and I need to figure this out for her."

"... Do you have any readings of his vitals at all? Pupil dilation? Breathing? Anything?"

"Um um, eyes look massive, very submissive attitude if it can be called that. Breathing is steady, I need to do a quick vital check."

"Do that now and report back to me."

Merlin stood up, phone by his ear and walked out. Uther had been tucked into bed when he returned and Morgana still sat next to him. She looked at him puzzled when she noticed his presence with the phone. He stuck his hand out muttering a spell. A purple glow floated over Uther; it changed to an orangey-pink color around his head and his heart.

"Whatever she gave him is definitely affecting his brain and his heart," Merlin told Gaius.

"I would recommend a bezoar, perhaps liquified as that's usually good for all poisons. It's not surprising that Morgause would target those area's if she wanted him in a docile state. I can tell you a list of plants that could be affecting him, if we're going on the hypothesis that Morgause used an older draught on him."

He gave a pause gesture to Morgana and ran back into his office. He wrote down what Gaius mentioned, thanked him for his time, and hung up. Morgana walked in, leaning on the doorframe.

"I talked to Gaius, hopefully with his advise I can narrow down what Morgause used on your father," Merlin said.

"Thank you," she said, with a sad smile. "You found Gaius?"

"Again. He remembers. Well, he's known everything for a few years now."

"Does he know about me?"

"A little."

She looked around the room.

"Do you have anything I can borrow? Be nice if I could change out of this dress," Morgana said.

He noticed she was still wearing her dress from earlier and her hair was drying in tendrils. He grabbed her hand and led her into his room.

"Anything you want, free reign, and the shower is over there," he said. "But you um, probably already knew that."

She kissed his cheek and went over to his dresser. He poked his head in the guest bedroom. Uther had fallen asleep. Merlin remembered how only months ago, Morgana had been laying in the same bed. He heard the shower run off. Then he went back into his study, trying to break down what Morgause could have possibly used on Uther.

Authors Notes: Sorry if this chapter is on the short side. I was just trying to write something to get the creativeness flowing again. I've been wanting to work Gaius into the story for a while now so I'm happy that's been accomplished and hopefully we'll be seeing more of him again later. I honestly have no idea how long this story will end up being but I do appreciate everyone that's been supportive of this story and left reviews so far.

I've finished my bachelors, been stuck at my parents since quarantine and trying to figure out when I'm leaving, got a cut on my middle finger and I'm pretty sure some of it bled onto my pillow, and trying to not overwhelm myself and failing terribly (but not as terribly as I could). I still have not made an actual Tik Tok video of which I am proud of myself for.

Hopefully the next update doesn't take as long. Morgana's reaction to Uther's state is definitely going to be in it. And feel free to leave a review. x